Portable medical gas system tester

An apparatus for testing and analysis of a medical gas system, comprising:

• a computing device;
• a display device coupled to said computing device;
• a hand-held sensor for sensing data from said medical gas system, said sensor including a housing and at least one connector for mating with an outlet or inlet of said medical gas system;
• a pressure or vacuum transducer within said housing for producing an electrical signal related to the gas pressure or vacuum sensed by said sensor, said electrical gas pressure or vacuum signal being transmitted to said computing device;
• and
• a flow sensing device within said housing for producing an electrical signal related to the gas flow rate sensed by said sensor, said electrical gas flow rate signal being transmitted to said computing device;
• wherein said computing device interprets said electrical signals and generates a display on said display device related to the status or operation of said medical gas system.

A method for testing and analysis of a medical gas system, comprising:

• providing an apparatus having a computing device, a display device and a sensor for sensing data from said medical gas system, said display device and said sensor being coupled to said computing device, said sensor including a housing, at least one connector on said housing for mating said sensor with an outlet or inlet of said medical gas system, and a pressure or vacuum transducer and a flow sensing device within said housing;
• mating said connector with an outlet or inlet of said medical gas system;
• sensing data from said medical gas system by said sensor;
• producing an electrical signal related to a gas pressure or vacuum sensed by said sensor, and transmitting said electrical gas pressure or vacuum signal to said computing device;
• producing an electrical signal related to a gas flow rate sensed by said sensor, and transmitting said electrical gas flow rate signal to said computing device;
• and
• intepreting of said electrical signals by said computing device and generating a display on said display device related to the status or operation of said medical gas system.

A method for testing compliance of a medical gas system with a preset standard, comprising:

• providing an apparatus having a computing device, a display device and a sensor for sensing data from said medical gas system, said display device and said sensor being coupled to said computing device, said sensor including a housing, at least one connector on said housing for mating said sensor with an outlet or inlet of said medical gas system, and a pressure or vacuum transducer and a flow sensing device within said housing, and a variable orifice within said housing between said connector and said flow sensing device for controlling the flow of gas between said connector and said flow sensing device;
• closing said variable orifice such that no gas can flow between said connector and said flow sensing device;
• mating said connector with an outlet or inlet of said medical gas system;
• sensing static gas pressure data from said medical gas system by said sensor;
• producing an electrical signal related to a gas pressure or vacuum sensed by said sensor, and transmitting said electrical gas pressure or vacuum signal to said computing device;
• manually opening said variable orifice;
• continuing to sense gas pressure data from said medical gas system by said sensor;
• when said measured gas pressure falls 5 psig, producing an electrical signal related to a gas flow rate sensed by said sensor, and transmitting said electrical gas flow rate signal to said computing device;
• interpreting of said electrical signals by said computing device;
• and
• comparing said gas flow rate data with a preset gas flow rate standard and generating a display on said display device related to the flow rate measurement for said gas as a function of the compliance of said medical gas system with a preset standard.